Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Think about what would be the most important thing for you to have? Some would say money, power, food, shelter or clothing. Others might want popularity or good feelings. Maybe health or family. As important as some of these may be they are not the most important thing for you or I to have. The most important thing for you to have is faith in the One True God.

In Mk. 11:22 Jesus said, “Have faith in God!”

In Lk. 17:5 the apostles pleaded, “Lord, Increase our faith!”

Rom. 10:17 declares, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!”

Someone may question why faith in the true God is so important. My friends, faith makes prayer successful! It opens the Bible to us! It gives us peace. It can make a drab person radiant and can lift you out of defeat. Faith I the One True God can give you the determination to continue despite all odds. Look at David, at Daniel, at Paul. Faith does that! Faith gives us roses in winter, food in famine, water in drought and victory in conflict!

Some have no faith, others have little faith but some have great faith. Why is that? Consider,

I. THE BEGINNING OF FAITH (RM. 10:17)

1. God’s Word is established! (Ps. 119.11)

2. Faith begins when I consciously receive God’s Word (I Th. 2:13)

3. Faith in Christ saves the sinner! (I Th. 1:5-10)

Once faith begins it shouldn’t stop there. We must continue with

II. THE BUILDING OF FAITH (LK. 17:5)

1. Faith falters when the Scriptures are misused (II Pet. 3:15-16)

2. Faith grows when we act on the Word (James 1:22-25)

3. Faith grows when we pray (Mk. 9:23-24)

4. Faith grows when we memorize the Word (Ps. 119:11)

5. Faith grows when we believe (Heb. 11:6)

So now what? So now we see the result. In other words,

III. THE BLESSING OF FAITH

Faith will keep us steady. We can express this in 8 simple words, 4 simple phrases concerning how faith in God will help us.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

D. L. Moody died about seven a.m. December 22, 1899 with a note of victory. He said the following at his death: "I see earth receding; heaven is approaching. God is calling me. This is my triumph. This is my coronation day. It is glorious. God is calling and I must go. Mama, you have been a good wife...no pain...no valley...it's bliss."

When John R. Rice was 6 years old his mother was dying. They called in all the family and she made them all promise to meet her in Heaven. All were weeping but her. She asked for a hymn to be sung and when asked which she replied, How Firm A Foundation. As they sang she rejoiced and clapped while the others wept. My friend, Robert L. Sumner, wrote in his biography of John Rice, Man Sent from God, "Lifting her hands high and gazing as if seeing through the ceiling and roof to the far-off Heaven, she said, 'I can see Jesus and my baby now!' Then... she smiled, and was asleep in Jesus."

When Aunt Vera was passing this week. She looked past Barb and Trish and saw glory. Her face regained lost color, her eyes sparkled and a wide grin spread across her face. Barb believed she glimpsed glory. She's there now.

What about this? Is is true? I have heard of many such events. We have the Bible and we have brains, let's use both.

I. SOME ARE FALSE

1. Some are deliberate deception told by liars or charlatans (some folks changed their stories)

2. Some can be demonic deception (Dr. Bob Jones Sr. told of such an occurence that happened to him when he was but a young Christian- I Jn. 4:1-6)

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

According to Truthorfiction.com (which you should always use to verify rumors, internet or otherwise): This is...The TruthThis odd pairing really did happen.According to numerous news accounts the hippo and the tortoise found each other at a wildlife refuge where they were taken after being stranded by the tsunami disaster.

According to the BBC, the hippo is about 1 year old and was found alone and dehydrated near the Indian Ocean in Kenya.He was taken to a wildlife enclosure near Mombassa where keepers have named him Owen.He and a 100-year-old tortoise named Mzee struck up a friendship and have been partners ever since.Keepers say they are inseparable and that the tortoise has been mothering the baby hippo.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

In or around January of 1975 I was given my first copy of the Sword of the Lord. It was at it's finest. Dr. John R. Rice was the editor, Bill Rice (II) was the Assistant editor and Robert L. Sumner had a weekly column. Through the Sword I learned of the Bill Rice Ranch. In 1977 Clydie and I went to Founder's Week for our 1 year anniversary. We made many trips to the Ranch after that. The last few years have seen the growth of the relationship between Bradford Baptist Church and the Bill Rice Ranch. Many associated with them have ministered to us (Bill Rice III, Wil & Sena Rice, Tim & Brittany Thompson, Richard Coyle). Many of our folks have been to the Ranch both to minister and to be ministered unto. We intend to bring in folks from the Ranch from time to time so that even the folks who haven't been able to go might get closer as BBC & the BRR tag-team together. Tag-team? Are we wrestling?

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Generally when we refer to "forefathers" we are referring to all our male ancestors or at least a certain segment of them. But as Sunday, June 18, 2006 is Father's Day I wish to mention "FOUR FATHERS" that all people born of man & woman have.

I. A BIOLOGICAL FATHER

From whom you may inherit:

1. Certain traits (walk like them, sound like them, look...)

2. Certain weaknesses

3. Certain strengths

II. ADAM

1. In Adam all exist (Gn. 3:20)

2. In Adam all are sinners (Rm. 5:18-19)

3. In Adam all die (Rm. 5:12-14, 17; I Cor. 15:22a)

III. THE DEVIL (JN. 8:44a)

1. Murderer (Jn. 8:44, I Jn. 3:15)

2. Liar (Jn. 8:44, Rm. 3:4, Ps. 116:11)

3. Disobedient (Eph. 2:2, I Jn. 2:8-10)

IV. GOD

1. Loosely in the sense that He created all things (Job. 38:28, Acts 17:24-29)

Thursday, June 08, 2006

School has ended for many and is about to start for others. I remember many teachers would use the first class period to discuss class requirements. What was expected of the students. It some cases this was broken down into “A” requirements, “B” requirements, etc. Requirements are not just in school, there are requirements at work, requirements at home, to get a driver’s license, and so on. God also has requirements and His are the most important you will ever hear.I. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PREACHER (II TIM.)

Do I have a responsibility for what I preach? How I preach?

1. Hold fast to the Word (1:13-2:14)

2. Study the Word (2:15-3:17)

3. Preach the Word (4:1-8)

II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR ISRAEL (I COR. 10:11, DT. 10:12)

1. Fear the Lord (Ps. 111:10, Pr. 1:7, 9:10)

2. Walk in all His ways (Eph. 5:11)

3. Love and serve Him (Mt. 22:36-38)

III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL PEOPLE

If preachers have a responsibility for what they preach do others have a responsibility for how they listen?

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Martin Luther was put on notice because of his writings against unscriptural practices in the Roman Catholic Church. He was expected to recant his writings. Luther's books were placed on a table. He was then asked if they were his works and whether he wanted to recant any of the information. Luther requested time to think over his reply and the next day he answered with the well-known speech:"Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

Think of that phrase, "...my conscience is captive to the Word of God... Here I stand." Though Baptists are not Protestants we can appreciate anybody taking a Biblical stand. It was brought to my attention recently that some think I preach the Gospel too much. Too much for who? Too much for the lost who need to hear it? Too much for the saved who need to memorize it and be able to share it with the lost? Too much for God who called me to preach the Gospel? Too much much for the Devil maybe. Paul said, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Gal. 1)

Friday, June 02, 2006

These are our two dogs which we rescued from the pound. The bigger one is a German Short-haired Pointer and she goes by the name of "Bessie". She weighs in at about 95 pounds of mostly muscle. When she wants to stay put most people have a hard time pulling or pushing her. Fortunately she responds well to our commands. Her little "sister" is a 65 pound American Pitbull Terrier named "Jada". Though not as heavy as her cohort she nonetheless is quite the watchdog. When we got her she looked more like a Terrier, as she put on weight we figured out her other bloodline. They are checking out a room that was about to be remodeled. The squirrels in the yard have yet to figure out that these two are not to be messed with and have seen their numbers dwindling. I say this merely as a fact. We have never sought to encourage this behavior and have yet to find a way to curb it (get smarter squirrels perhaps?).

Every now and then I hear people make very ignorant statements. There are different ways they say it but it’s basically the same thing, something like, “Life doesn’t come with instructions so you have to figure it out on your own.” “Children don’t come with instructions.” “You have to find your own way.” Now the simple truth is, these state- ments are erroneous, ignorant, and just plain ridiculous! We don’t have to figure things out on our own, there is an instruction Book and it’s the Bible! Someone has made an acrostic using the letters of the word Bible. (see subtitle) . Not only has God given us instructions but all through the Bible He tells us how to use them, one such place is Ezra 7:10.

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When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psalm 8:3-4